DOE PAGES title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: On the Shoulders of Giants: Continuing the Legacy of Large-Scale Ecosystem Manipulation Experiments in Puerto Rico

Abstract

There is a long history of experimental research in the Luquillo Experimental Forest in Puerto Rico. These experiments have addressed questions about biotic thresholds, assessed why communities vary along natural gradients, and have explored forest responses to a range of both anthropogenic and non-anthropogenic disturbances. Combined, these studies cover many of the major disturbances that affect tropical forests around the world and span a wide range of topics, including the effects of forest thinning, ionizing radiation, hurricane disturbance, nitrogen deposition, drought, and global warming. These invaluable studies have greatly enhanced our understanding of tropical forest function under different disturbance regimes and informed the development of management strategies. Here we summarize the major field experiments that have occurred within the Luquillo Experimental Forest. Taken together, results from the major experiments conducted in the Luquillo Experimental Forest demonstrate a high resilience of Puerto Rico’s tropical forests to a variety of stressors.

Authors:
 [1];  [1];  [2];  [3];  [4]
  1. US Dept. of Agriculture (USDA), Washington, DC (United States)
  2. Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)
  3. Southwest Biological Science Center, Moab, UT (United States)
  4. Michigan Technological Univ., Houghton, MI (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Science (SC)
OSTI Identifier:
1572802
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC02-05CH11231
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Forests
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 10; Journal Issue: 3; Journal ID: ISSN 1999-4907
Publisher:
MDPI
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; Luquillo Experimental Forest; tropical; experiments; manipulations; large-scale; Puerto Rico; Caribbean

Citation Formats

Wood, Tana, González, Grizelle, Silver, Whendee, Reed, Sasha, and Cavaleri, Molly. On the Shoulders of Giants: Continuing the Legacy of Large-Scale Ecosystem Manipulation Experiments in Puerto Rico. United States: N. p., 2019. Web. doi:10.3390/f10030210.
Wood, Tana, González, Grizelle, Silver, Whendee, Reed, Sasha, & Cavaleri, Molly. On the Shoulders of Giants: Continuing the Legacy of Large-Scale Ecosystem Manipulation Experiments in Puerto Rico. United States. https://doi.org/10.3390/f10030210
Wood, Tana, González, Grizelle, Silver, Whendee, Reed, Sasha, and Cavaleri, Molly. Wed . "On the Shoulders of Giants: Continuing the Legacy of Large-Scale Ecosystem Manipulation Experiments in Puerto Rico". United States. https://doi.org/10.3390/f10030210. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1572802.
@article{osti_1572802,
title = {On the Shoulders of Giants: Continuing the Legacy of Large-Scale Ecosystem Manipulation Experiments in Puerto Rico},
author = {Wood, Tana and González, Grizelle and Silver, Whendee and Reed, Sasha and Cavaleri, Molly},
abstractNote = {There is a long history of experimental research in the Luquillo Experimental Forest in Puerto Rico. These experiments have addressed questions about biotic thresholds, assessed why communities vary along natural gradients, and have explored forest responses to a range of both anthropogenic and non-anthropogenic disturbances. Combined, these studies cover many of the major disturbances that affect tropical forests around the world and span a wide range of topics, including the effects of forest thinning, ionizing radiation, hurricane disturbance, nitrogen deposition, drought, and global warming. These invaluable studies have greatly enhanced our understanding of tropical forest function under different disturbance regimes and informed the development of management strategies. Here we summarize the major field experiments that have occurred within the Luquillo Experimental Forest. Taken together, results from the major experiments conducted in the Luquillo Experimental Forest demonstrate a high resilience of Puerto Rico’s tropical forests to a variety of stressors.},
doi = {10.3390/f10030210},
journal = {Forests},
number = 3,
volume = 10,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Feb 27 00:00:00 EST 2019},
month = {Wed Feb 27 00:00:00 EST 2019}
}

Journal Article:
Free Publicly Available Full Text
Publisher's Version of Record

Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 6 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

Save / Share:

Works referenced in this record:

Understanding the key mechanisms of tropical forest responses to canopy loss and biomass deposition from experimental hurricane effects
journal, November 2014


Observational and model evidence of global emergence of permanent, unprecedented heat in the 20th and 21st centuries: A letter
journal, June 2011


Fine Root Dynamics Following Single and Multiple Disturbances in a Subtropical Wet Forest Ecosystem
journal, December 1993

  • Silver, Whendee L.; Vogt, Kristiina A.
  • The Journal of Ecology, Vol. 81, Issue 4
  • DOI: 10.2307/2261670

Disentangling the long-term effects of disturbance on soil biogeochemistry in a wet tropical forest ecosystem
journal, January 2018

  • Gutiérrez del Arroyo, Omar; Silver, Whendee L.
  • Global Change Biology, Vol. 24, Issue 4
  • DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14027

Cost-effectiveness of reducing emissions from tropical deforestation, 2016–2050
journal, December 2017


Cascading Effects of Canopy Opening and Debris Deposition from a Large-Scale Hurricane Experiment in a Tropical Rain Forest
journal, August 2015

  • Shiels, Aaron B.; González, Grizelle; Lodge, D. Jean
  • BioScience, Vol. 65, Issue 9
  • DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biv111

Plant responses to simulated hurricane impacts in a subtropical wet forest, Puerto Rico
journal, May 2010


Soil organic matter dynamics under decaying wood in a subtropical wet forest: effect of tree species and decay stage
journal, June 2007


At What Temporal Scales Does Disturbance Affect Belowground Nutrient Pools?
journal, December 1996

  • Silver, Whendee L.; Scatena, Fred N.; Johnson, Arthur H.
  • Biotropica, Vol. 28, Issue 4
  • DOI: 10.2307/2389087

The extent and patterns of usage of Agent Orange and other herbicides in Vietnam
journal, April 2003

  • Stellman, Jeanne Mager; Stellman, Steven D.; Christian, Richard
  • Nature, Vol. 422, Issue 6933
  • DOI: 10.1038/nature01537

A canopy trimming experiment in Puerto Rico: The response of litter decomposition and nutrient release to canopy opening and debris deposition in a subtropical wet forest
journal, November 2014


Structural and Functional Responses of a Subtropical Forest to 10 Years of Hurricanes and Droughts
journal, August 2005

  • Beard, Karen H.; Vogt, Kristiina A.; Vogt, Daniel J.
  • Ecological Monographs, Vol. 75, Issue 3
  • DOI: 10.1890/04-1114

When Fields Revert to Forest: Development and Spontaneous Reforestation in Post-War Puerto Rico
journal, August 2000

  • Rudel, Thomas K.; Perez-Lugo, Marla; Zichal, Heather
  • The Professional Geographer, Vol. 52, Issue 3
  • DOI: 10.1111/0033-0124.00233

Landscape and Regional Impacts of Hurricanes in Puerto rico
journal, May 2004

  • Boose, Emery R.; Serrano, Mayra I.; Foster, David R.
  • Ecological Monographs, Vol. 74, Issue 2
  • DOI: 10.1890/02-4057

Seven-year responses of trees to experimental hurricane effects in a tropical rainforest, Puerto Rico
journal, November 2014


Abiotic and biotic drivers of seedling survival in a hurricane-impacted tropical forest
journal, November 2009


Differential effects of canopy trimming and litter deposition on litterfall and nutrient dynamics in a wet subtropical forest
journal, November 2014


An Altitudinal Comparison of Growth and Species Composition in Hurricane- Damaged Forests in Puerto Rico
journal, December 1996

  • Walker, Lawrence R.; Zimmerman, Jess K.; Lodge, D. Jean
  • The Journal of Ecology, Vol. 84, Issue 6
  • DOI: 10.2307/2960559

Effects of Changes in Biodiversity on Ecosystem Function in Tropical Forests
journal, February 1996


Effect and Persistence of Herbicides Applied to Soil in Puerto Rican Forests
journal, January 1968


Fertilization responses of soil litter fauna and litter quantity, quality, and turnover in low and high elevation forests of Puerto Rico
journal, October 2007


Global biodiversity loss from tropical deforestation
journal, May 2017


Responses to canopy loss and debris deposition in a tropical forest ecosystem: Synthesis from an experimental manipulation simulating effects of hurricane disturbance
journal, November 2014


Summary of the Effects of Caribbean Hurricanes on Vegetation
journal, December 1991

  • Brokaw, Nicholas V. L.; Walker, Lawrence R.
  • Biotropica, Vol. 23, Issue 4
  • DOI: 10.2307/2388264

The Globalization of Nitrogen Deposition: Consequences for Terrestrial Ecosystems
journal, March 2002

  • Matson, Pamela; Lohse, Kathleen A.; Hall, Sharon J.
  • AMBIO: A Journal of the Human Environment, Vol. 31, Issue 2
  • DOI: 10.1579/0044-7447-31.2.113

Appropriate experimental ecosystem warming methods by ecosystem, objective, and practicality
journal, November 2009


Nitrogen Immobilization by Decomposing Woody Debris and the Recovery of Tropical Wet Forest from Hurricane Damage
journal, April 1995

  • Zimmerman, J. K.; Pulliam, W. M.; Lodge, D. J.
  • Oikos, Vol. 72, Issue 3
  • DOI: 10.2307/3546116

Do global change experiments overestimate impacts on terrestrial ecosystems?
journal, May 2011


A new generation of climate-change experiments: events, not trends
journal, September 2007


Pre-exposure to drought increases the resistance of tropical forest soil bacterial communities to extended drought
journal, November 2012

  • Bouskill, Nicholas J.; Lim, Hsiao Chien; Borglin, Sharon
  • The ISME Journal, Vol. 7, Issue 2
  • DOI: 10.1038/ismej.2012.113

Urgent need for warming experiments in tropical forests
journal, March 2015

  • Cavaleri, Molly A.; Reed, Sasha C.; Smith, W. Kolby
  • Global Change Biology, Vol. 21, Issue 6
  • DOI: 10.1111/gcb.12860

Carbon Sequestration and Plant Community Dynamics Following Reforestation of Tropical Pasture
journal, August 2004

  • Silver, Whendee L.; Kueppers, Lara M.; Lugo, Ariel E.
  • Ecological Applications, Vol. 14, Issue 4
  • DOI: 10.1890/03-5123

Estimated carbon dioxide emissions from tropical deforestation improved by carbon-density maps
journal, January 2012

  • Baccini, A.; Goetz, S. J.; Walker, W. S.
  • Nature Climate Change, Vol. 2, Issue 3
  • DOI: 10.1038/nclimate1354

Basal area growth for 15 tropical tree species in Puerto Rico
journal, May 1995


Global assessment of nitrogen deposition effects on terrestrial plant diversity: a synthesis
journal, January 2010

  • Bobbink, R.; Hicks, K.; Galloway, J.
  • Ecological Applications, Vol. 20, Issue 1
  • DOI: 10.1890/08-1140.1

Hurricane Effects on Soil Organic Matter Dynamics and Forest Production in the Luquillo Experimental Forest, Puerto Rico: Results of Simulation Modeling
journal, December 1991

  • Sanford, Robert L.; Parton, William J.; Ojima, Dennis S.
  • Biotropica, Vol. 23, Issue 4
  • DOI: 10.2307/2388253

Understorey fern responses to post-hurricane fertilization and debris removal in a Puerto Rican rain forest
journal, March 2004

  • Halleck, Leslie Finical; Sharpe, Joanne M.; Zou, Xiaoming Zou
  • Journal of Tropical Ecology, Vol. 20, Issue 2
  • DOI: 10.1017/S026646740300124X

Biological Nitrogen Fixation in Two Tropical Forests: Ecosystem-Level Patterns and Effects of Nitrogen Fertilization
journal, October 2009


The response of heterotrophic activity and carbon cycling to nitrogen additions and warming in two tropical soils
journal, January 2010


Sensitivity of Soil Respiration to Variability in Soil Moisture and Temperature in a Humid Tropical Forest
journal, December 2013


Infrared heater system for warming tropical forest understory plants and soils
journal, January 2018

  • Kimball, Bruce A.; Alonso-Rodríguez, Aura M.; Cavaleri, Molly A.
  • Ecology and Evolution, Vol. 8, Issue 4
  • DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3780

Tropical secondary forests
journal, February 1990


Tropical forest carbon balance in a warmer world: a critical review spanning microbial- to ecosystem-scale processes
journal, May 2012


A decade of belowground reorganization following multiple disturbances in a subtropical wet forest
journal, February 2009


Insights on Forest Structure and Composition from Long-Term Research in the Luquillo Mountains
journal, June 2017


The projected timing of climate departure from recent variability
journal, October 2013

  • Mora, Camilo; Frazier, Abby G.; Longman, Ryan J.
  • Nature, Vol. 502, Issue 7470
  • DOI: 10.1038/nature12540

Responses of Soil Labile Organic Carbon to a Simulated Hurricane Disturbance in a Tropical Wet Forest
journal, July 2018

  • Liu, Xianbin; Zeng, Xiucheng; Zou, Xiaoming
  • Forests, Vol. 9, Issue 7
  • DOI: 10.3390/f9070420

Physical Aspects of Hurricane Hugo in Puerto Rico
journal, December 1991

  • Scatena, F. N.; Larsen, M. C.
  • Biotropica, Vol. 23, Issue 4
  • DOI: 10.2307/2388247

The Economic Growth Impact of Hurricanes: Evidence from U.S. Coastal Counties
journal, May 2011


Effects of canopy opening and debris deposition on fungal connectivity, phosphorus movement between litter cohorts and mass loss
journal, November 2014


The Potential for Carbon Sequestration Through Reforestation of Abandoned Tropical Agricultural and Pasture Lands
journal, December 2000


Works referencing / citing this record:

Broadening Our Understanding of Hurricanes and Forests on the Caribbean Island of Puerto Rico: Where and What Should We Study Now?
journal, August 2019

  • López-Marrero, Tania; Heartsill-Scalley, Tamara; Rivera-López, Carlos F.
  • Forests, Vol. 10, Issue 9
  • DOI: 10.3390/f10090710